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Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Houghton, Beah Richards ... see more see more... , Roy E. Glenn Sr. , Isabel Sanford , Cecil Kellaway , Virginia Christine , Alexandra Hay , Barbara Randolph , D'Urville Martin , Grace Gaynor , Skip Martin , John Bear Hudkins , Thomas Heaton

Old-line liberals Matt and Christina Drayton (Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn) have raised their daughter Joey (Katharine Houghton) to think for herself and not blindly conform to the conventional... read more read more.... Still, they aren't prepared for the shock when she returns home from a vacation with a new fiancé: African-American doctor John Prentice (Sidney Poitier). While they come to grips with whatever prejudices they might still harbor, the younger folks must also contend with John's parents (Roy Glenn Sr. and Beah Richards), who are dead-set against the union. To complicate matters, the older couple's disapproving maid (Isabel Sanford) and Christina's bigoted business associate (Virginia Christine) put in their two cents' worth. While Joey is determined to go ahead with the wedding no matter what people think, John refuses to consider marriage until he receives the unqualified approval of all concerned. The closing monologue delivered by Spencer Tracy turned out to be the last scene ever played by the veteran film luminary, who died not long after the production. The film was a success in the racially volatile year of 1967 and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won for Hepburn and screenwriter William Rose. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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84% liked it

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65% liked it

26 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: Stanley Kramer

Release Date: January 1, 1967

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DVD Release Date: May 22, 2001

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Sidney Poitier in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Cecil Kellaway in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Katharine Hepburn in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Spencer Tracy in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Katharine Hepburn in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Katherine Hepburn Beah Richards in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Katharine Hepburn in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Spencer Tracy in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Beah Richards in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Sidney Poitier in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Spencer Tracy in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Beah Richards in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
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Flixster Reviews (1,703)

  • jennifxu
    December 26, 2011
    jennifxu
    Pontificating, pretentious film. It's so fantasy it's crazy.
  • LWOODS04
    October 21, 2011
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Houghton, Cecil Kellaway, Beah Richards, Isabel Sanford, Roy Glenn, Virginia Christine

    Director: Stanley Kramer

    Summary: Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn star as wealthy Californians who consider themsel... read moreves progressive until their only daughter (Katharine Houghton) brings home her African American fiancé (Sidney Poitier) in this snapshot of race relations in the late 1960s. The film earned two Academy Awards (for Hepburn's performance and William Rose's screenplay) and eight other nominations.

    My Thoughts: "I can't imagine what it must have been like when this film came out in 1967. How controversial it must have been to see a black man and a white woman in a relationship and going to be married. It of course isn't such a big deal in today's world. But for some, still an issue. It's a smartly written film with such great acting. I loved Spencer Tracy as the father and Cecil Kellaway, who was quite funny as the Monsignor. I'm sure it made people think, talk about it more, and changed peoples views. My mother said the movie was a very big deal when it came out. That some people were outraged and disgusted while other's where impressed and celebrated the film in hopes of changing some persons views. The ending speech that Spencer Tracy gives near the end of the film is moving. Kudos to everyone who was apart in making this, which I am sure was a ground breaking film in that time."
  • cosmo313
    September 17, 2011
    cosmo313
    Oh man, this movie. For what's it's worth, I'll just say right off the bat that no matter what, this was, is, and always will be a film worthy of serious thought and discussion, and that's one of the biggest compliments I can give to it or any movie.

    The story is one about inte... read morerracial love. Dr. John Prentice is a successful, kind, and sensitive African American who, depsite only knowing her for 10 days, has fallen in love with a nice young white girl girl named Joey Drayton. His parents are working class, or at least were. Her parents are wealthy upper class old line liberals. The plot of the movie concerns John and Joey going to see her parents to tell them of their intentions to marry as soon as they can due to his demanding schedule, and of course, their approval.

    The movie examines various perspectives concerning the issue of interracial marriage, whichwhen the film was being made was illegal in 17 states. Within several months that was no longer the case, but the time period was still rife with tensions as the country was dealing with Civil Rights and Vietnam. The film is dated to an extent, even though in some places the central issue of the film is actually still cause for some concern. Modern audiences however, would proably have more of an issue with the fact that John and Joey have only known each other for 10 days though.

    The film is to be commended for at least treating the subject seriously and in a dramatic manner, though there is some humor here and there to keep the film from being too heavy and pretentious. The writing does have some faults, such as John being presented as pretty much flawless and maybe a tad Uncle Tomish (maybe to make the film more comfortable for white audiences), and their love is shown as pure and chaste, but it does touch upon black on black racism, even if the film really comes off as more about white guilt, oh, and the ending.

    The film does play it safe at times, but that's mostly the hindsight talking. I understand that this was a risky film when it came out, and I'm thankful it was made to begin with. Where this film shines and is at its best is with the acting. This is the strongest part of the film. There's an overflow of monologues here, but the dialogues are engaging and well done. Poitier is really good as Prentice though, as I mentioned, his character is maybe too perfect. Katherine Houghton is really good as Joey, I loved Isabel Sanford as the Drayton's black maid who really sticks it to John. Everyone usually makes the boiggest deal though about Hepburn and Tracy. This was their final film together, and his final film period (he died 17 days after filming wrapped). During his final monologue, the tears in Hepburn's eyes were real as both she and him knew that because of his poor health, this would be the last work he'd ever do. The final scene is powerful and moving enough as is, but this knowledge makes it even more so.

    This is an entertaining film, and it tries to do something and say something, but I really had a hard time with it, mostly because I was watching it (and am reviewing it) with two different mindsets (scholar studying black history and regular film fan) running simultaneously, thus my opinion about it is mixed, though I'm trying to find a middle ground.

    For those reasons, and the reasons I've lsited throughout this review, I gotta be fair and gve this one a straight B. I do encourage you to see it, but I do think that it could have been better, no matter how risky it was back then. Like I said, at least it got made in the first place.
  • ajv2688
    December 10, 2010
    ajv2688
    I liked this movie because of the fantastic cast and their fantastic performances, but I didn't care for the story that much. I know it was a big deal at the time, but today we don't think much of race relation stories. It's a great movie for its time, and if you view it from t... read morehe sixties point of view you can understand it better, I think.
  • FrizzDrop
    November 24, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    At this influential time in the Civil Rights movement, and in American history, it was finally good to see a true represenation of an African American in the cinema who wasn't playing a slave, housekeeper, or part of a gospel choir. The tension is thrown out on the screen for all... read more to see, a perpetual parade of the dirty laundry of the day. It's no holds barred for racial misconceptions, fallacies, and genuine doubt between the families. A true historical record.
  • Chiefilms
    March 2, 2010
    Chiefilms
    Sidney Poitier is a dapper oreo, a sign of the times movie, controversy, exogamy no no no, endogamy yes yes yes. We all prefer exogamy because Sidney said so, it's the San Francisco treat.
  • danperry17
    January 3, 2009
    danperry17
    One of the all-time greatest movies you will ever see: Sidney Poitier in a tour de force, Katharine Hepburn in an Academy Award-winning role, and Spencer Tracy's final role as the father who just can't seem to change with the times all come together to easily overcome the film's ... read moreonly weak spot: Katharine Houghton's inexperienced acting. An absolute powderkeg of a film that takes its time, letting the story out in short scenes that feature meaningful conversations that flip from heart-wrenching to heart-warming and back again, and from time to time, some desperately needed levity. Beautifully shot and filled with some terrifyingly dark comedic moments (you know you shouldn't laugh, but you just can't help it), this is a film not to be missed. So good, in fact, that I may watch the Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac take-off for the sole purpose of ripping it to shreds... man, that would feel good.

    Though it's a little speechy, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a film that you absolutely must see before you die (but you likely knew that before Steven Jay Schneider told you so); and in their greatest injustice, AFI bumped this off its Top 100 last time around to add (to name only two terrible inclusions!) Titanic and The Sixth Sense. For shame.
  • ceWEBrity
    June 25, 2008
    ceWEBrity
    My big problem with Ordinary People was that it was full of soulless white folks maneuvering through potent issues without offering much insight on anything. It isn't a bad movie, and I could relate to a lot of the struggles of the son, but it was so largely disengaging that most... read more of it has left me already. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner suffers the exact same curse - it is a stiflingly white movie, and with a black main character no less!

    I found the movie to be pretty decent, but my film professor brought up an interesting point about it - this movie is all about white liberal guilt. The Sidney Poitier character is a cipher, designed to be untouchable by audience perceptions so that the writers are free to attack the bare issue of racism. It's a noble goal but there are still problems, mainly in that the dramatic impetus of the movie centers entirely around the patriarchal white man. Food for thought, you know?

    Well-acted and well-written (if agitatingly fond of the monologues), I guess I can't hate this movie too much. I don't think it really meant any harm by what it was doing, but there's no edge here, no controversy. It has aged very poorly.
  • sanjurosamurai
    March 21, 2008
    sanjurosamurai
    a film that is completely diologue driven, this film is beautifully written and incredibly profound. the acting and cinematography were also great. this is probably the best film from 1967, which is one of the most important years for film in history. funny and quirky yet very... read more important, this is a must watch.
  • garyX
    July 14, 2007
    garyX
    A rather rose tinted drama tackling race issues when a young white liberal brings home her black fiancee to meet her parents. It's intelligently and thoughtfully written, and the pairing of Tracy and Hepburn is forever watchable, but some may find Poitier's eminent doctor and all... read more-round over achiever a little too good to be true. A fine film nonetheless.

View All Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Reviews

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr
November 7, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

A disaster on all counts -- its time, if it ever had one, has definitely passed. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 9, 2005
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

A most delightfully acted and gracefully entertaining film. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It would be easy to tear the plot to shreds and catch Kramer in the act of copping out. But why? On its own terms, this film is a joy to see, an evening of superb entertainment. Full Review

A.D. Murphy
February 13, 2001
A.D. Murphy, Variety

Examines its subject matter with perception, depth, insight, humor and feeling Full Review

John J. Puccio
April 6, 2011
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

...rather tame and superficial by today's standards: a gentle, sentimental comedy on the subject of interracial marriage. Full Review

Kelly Kessler
January 2, 2011
Kelly Kessler, Common Sense Media

Civil rights, love, and family stress. Full Review

November 7, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Tracy looks tired in this draggy production; he died soon afterward, and it's infuriating to watch him sweat to inject fire into such pap. Full Review

November 7, 2007
Film4

There are wonderful performances here, as you'd expect from Hepburn and Tracy, and there's no question that the film is well intentioned. Yet it's also hamfisted and self-congratulatory in the most ga... Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 10, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Billed in 1967 as Hollywood's first serious film about interracial marriage, this theatrical movie begs one question: What mother in her right mind will object to Sidney Poitier as a fiance to her dau... Full Review

Geoff Andrew
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

A wishy-washy, sanctimonious plea for tolerance, directed with Kramer's customary verbosity and stodginess. Full Review

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    • John Prentice: You think of yourself as a colored man. I think of myself as a man.
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Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Trivia

  • "Guess Who" was a remake of what film  Answer »
  • Which of the following was Spencer Tracy's final film role?  Answer »
  • In the 1967 film 'Guess Who's coming to dinner', who IS coming to dinner?  Answer »
  • Which actor was in all these movies? A Patch of Blue To Sir With Love Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Lily of the Fields They Call me Mr. Tibbs In the Heat of the Night  Answer »
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